$5,300 High Roller Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-20-2025 01:10 UTC+3

Hala Karam Eliminated in 10th Place ($14,000)

Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Ludovic Uzan raised from the button to 160,000 and Hala Karam three-bet shoved out of the small blind for 540,000. Uzan thought it over for a few while before making the call to put Karam at risk.

Hala Karam: 5♠4♠ All in
Ludovic Uzan: K♥10♦

Karam had made a move with a suited connector but was live against Uzan's two overcards. However, the flop of K♦Q♥J♣ was disastrous for Karam as Uzan paired his king and she could only win the pot with running cards.

The 6♠ fell on the turn, which cemented Karam's elimination from the tournament as the final table bubble girl. An inconsequential K♠ hit the river to give Uzan trips, and with that, the final table of the $5,300 High Roller was set.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ludovic Uzan	1,770,000 720,000	720,000
Hala Karam	Busted

Tags: Hala Karam Ludovic Uzan

01-20-2025 01:00 UTC+3

Dmitry Gromov Eliminated in 11th Place ($14,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Maher Achour raised the button to 160,000 and Dmitry Gromov shoved from the big blind for around 400,000. Achour snap-called.

Dmitry Gromov: A♦4♣ All in
Maher Achour: A♠Q♠

Gromov needed a lot of help if he was to have a chance of making it to the final table. The flop of J♠10♣10♥ gave Gromov some chop-outs. The A♥ turn meant Gromov could only chop the pot. The river came the 4♥ and Achour won the pot with two pair, aces and tens, but with the queen-kicker, eliminating Gromov in eleventh place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	2,300,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
Dmitry Gromov	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Maher Achour

01-19-2025 23:54 UTC+3

Aliaksandr Hirs Eliminated in 12th Place ($14,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Lyudmil Ivanov raised to 120,000 from the hijack and Aliaksandr Hirs defended his big blind.

The two players checked the 10♠4♣7♠ flop to see the A♦ hit the turn. Hirs checked again and Ivanov bet 135,000. Hirs called.

Hirs checked again when the 3♦ fell on the river and Ivanov bet enough to put him all in. The bet was for Hirs' remaining 390,000 and after burning through a few of his time bank cards, Hirs called.

Aliaksandr Hirs; K♦10♥ All in
Lyudmil Ivanov: A♣Q♠

Hirs had a pair of tens but was second best to the turned pair of aces for Ivanov. The pot was pushed over to Ivanov and Hirs was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lyudmil Ivanov	2,300,000 550,000	550,000

Aliaksandr Hirs	Busted

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Lyudmil Ivanov

01-19-2025 22:56 UTC+3

Ozgur Arda Eliminated in 13th Place ($11,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Ozgur Arda committed his last 30,000 into the middle from the cutoff and Maher Achour made the call to try and bust him.

Ozgur Arda: Q♣2♠ All in
Maher Achour: K♣Q♦

Arda was dominated and couldn't find any help on the 4♥9♣7♣9♥4♠ runout, meaning he was headed to the cashier's desk in thirteenth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	3,800,000 100,000	100,000
Ozgur Arda	Busted

Tags: Maher Achour Ozgur Arda

01-19-2025 22:42 UTC+3

Gaspare Sposato Elimianted in 14th Place ($11,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Hala Karam raised to 80,000 from early position and Sergei Varnaev three-bet to 225,000 from late position. Gaspare Sposato four-bet out of the blinds to 865,000. Karam folded, but Varnaev shoved to put Sposato all in. Sposato called for his remaining 250,000.

Gaspare Sposato: K♥K♦ All in
Sergei Varnaev: A♣A♦

Varnaev was on the right end of a cooler and looked likely to eliminate Sposato. The runout of Q♣7♥9♣10♣10♠ kept Varnaev ahead the entire with pocket aces and Sposato was out in fourteenth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergei Varnaev	2,350,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
Hala Karam	600,000 125,000	125,000
Gaspare Sposato	Busted

Tags: Gaspare Sposato Hala Karam Sergei Varnaev

01-19-2025 22:29 UTC+3

Paul Runcan Eliminated in 15th Place ($11,500)

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Paul Runcan shoved for 180,000 from the cutoff and Sergei Varnaev made the call from the big blind to put him at risk.

Paul Runcan: K♥8♦ All in
Sergei Varnaev: 10♣8♣

Runcan had Varnaev dominated and looked likely to double-up. The flop of A♣K♣6♠ put Runcan in the lead with a pair of kings but did give Varnaev a flush draw. The 9♣ turn gave Varnaev the flush and left Runcan drawing dead as the 4♦ came on the river and Runcan was out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergei Varnaev	1,200,000 300,000	300,000
Paul Runcan	Busted

Tags: Paul Runcan Sergei Varnaev

01-19-2025 21:37 UTC+3

Mustafa Biz Eliminated in 16th Place ($10,000)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Mustafa Biz shoved for 410,000 from early position and Dmitry Gromov put him at risk from the small blind.

Mustafa Biz: A♠3♠ All in
Dmitry Gromov: A♣A♦

Biz was in a world of pain and needed a miracle after the 8♣8♥5♥ flop. No such miracle was in sight as the 5♦ turn meant Biz was drawing dead, with an inconsequential Q♣ dropping on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	1,500,000 100,000	100,000

Mustafa Biz	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Mustafa Biz

01-19-2025 21:31 UTC+3

Suat Egilli Eliminated in 17th Place ($10,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Suat Egilli opened to 60,000 under the gun with Aliaksandr Hirs defending out of the big blind.

Hirs checked when the dealer fanned out the 4♠7♥2♠ flop and Egilli immediately shoved for roughly 350,000. Hirs looked back at his cards before making the call.

Suat Egilli: J♠9♠ All in
Aliaksandr Hirs: 7♦5♦

Egilli had two overacards and a flush draw but was behind to the top pair of Hirs. The 10♦ turn gave Egilli a few more outs with a gunshot, but the 5♣ river didn't help him as Hirs improved to two pair, sending Egilli to the cashier's desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aliaksandr Hirs	1,350,000 675,000	675,000
Suat Egilli	Busted

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Suat Egilli

01-19-2025 21:27 UTC+3

Roman Stoika Eliminated in 18th Place ($10,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Roman Stoika shoved under the gun for 275,000 and Gaspare Sposato called to try and bust him.

Roman Stoika: K♣J♦ All in
Gaspare Sposato: K♥Q♥

Stoika was in trouble and needed some help for the dealer to stay alive. The board ran out K♦3♦6♠A♦5♣, giving both players a pair of kings, but Sposato's queen-kicker played and he won the pot, sending Stoika to the rail in eighteenth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaspare Sposato	1,100,000 50,000	50,000
Roman Stoika	Busted

Tags: Gaspare Sposato Roman Stoika

01-19-2025 21:20 UTC+3

Ramazan Akyel Eliminated in 19th Place ($9,000)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Bogdan Jontulovic raised to 60,000 from under the gun and Ramazan Akyel shoved for his short stack of 140,000 from the next seat. Maher Achour then four-bet to 220,000 from the button, which got Jontulovic to fold.

Ramazan Akyel: A♥7♥ All in
Maher Achour: A♣Q♣

Akyel was well behind, but did flop a flush draw on the 3♥J♠9♥ flop. However, neither the 5♠ turn nor 9♦ river could save him from elimination, and he was out in 19th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	1,700,000 200,000	200,000
Ramazan Akyel	Busted

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Maher Achour Ramazan Akyel